This October we celebrated Black History Month, which highlights and celebrates the achievements and contributions of the Black Community in the UK and around the world. To mark the occasion, employees launched a new UK branch of Amazon’s global affinity group: Black Employee Network (BEN).

BEN is an inclusive organisation open to everyone and looks to foster diversity and inclusion of black employees and their allies at Amazon. During Black History Month, BEN offered employees free tickets to visit the Soul of a Nation Exhibition at the Tate Modern, which showcased artwork depicting the Civil Rights movement and how artists responded to these times through provoking, confronting and confounding expectations. Employees also enjoyed African and Caribbean music and food in our offices.

BEN are planning to bring many more events to Amazon employees in the future including social activities, guest speakers, recruiting events, mentorship and community volunteering.

Tonie Odeniyi, Co-Chair of BEN in the UK said: “At BEN we are proactively working to raise awareness on diversity and help Amazon with fostering an inclusive work environment where black employees can be themselves. Despite only launching in the UK this month, we have already seen a wonderful response to this initiative, with a huge amount of support and enthusiasm from fellow Amazonians of all backgrounds. We know this support will grow and are excited to see what the future brings.”

After their son Diamo passed away, Samiya and Naveed Parvez turned their grief into a force for change. Today, London-based tech startup Andiamo is revolutionizing the approach to healthcare devices for disabled children.